Hat-Trick: AgentTaser Edition
by Rhiannon A. Christy
Summary: 5 unconnected oneshots in my Hat-Trick Series featuring Darcy/Coulson. 1. Deserving The World 2. Selfish 3. Out of Time. 4. Ruffled Feathers. 5. Drifting
1. Deserving The World

Hat-Trick: AgentTaser #1

Song: Just To See You Smile ~ Tim McGraw

Genre: Romance/Drama

Spoiler Alert: Pretty much if you've seen the first season of AOS, TWS, and TDW then you are fine.

Rating: T, maybe

* * *

Deserving The World

* * *

Agent Phil Coulson was no stranger to sacrifices, mainly when it came to personal sacrifices. He had given up his entire life for the agency, he gave up friends and lovers all for the sake of protecting the world. So the situation he was currently presented with shouldn't have hurt so much. The problem was that it did.

* * *

There were times in Phil's life where he had been genuinely surprised, Greenwich was one of those times. He had gone in with his team to clean up after Thor's last battle. He had expected to find building rubble and bits of alien technology, what he hadn't expected was to find a certain civilian digging through the piles of stone and metal.

"Miss Lewis, what, may I ask, are you doing?" Phil stood a yard away from the young woman, watching as she stilled before turning a bright, and false smile, on him.

"I knew you weren't dead. You're too stubborn by far." Darcy winked at the agent above her and turned back to her search on the ground.

"I'm not even going to ask how you even know I was dead in the first place. Even so, I would like an answer to my first question, this area has been quarantined off to the general public." He was really going to have to have a conversation with the security detail he had been given, the young woman shouldn't have been able to get within a mile of the cleanup.

"You forget who my boss is sleeping with. Speaking of, he is going to be either very happy or very angry to find out your demise has been greatly exaggerated. I think I would watch out for flying hammers if I were you." Lifting a rather large chunk of rock out of the way, Darcy flung back with a yelp as the stupid thing sliced into her finger. Ok, so rocks could be sharp, noted.

"Miss Lewis..."

"I'm trying to find my stupid iPod, alright? I finally got a new one that I like and it got dropped during the whole evil alien elf thing. Just my luck really. I should just start buying those cheap twenty-dollar mp3s if I'm going to end up in the middle of another apocalypse." And she knew she probably would too, seeing as she had no plans to abandon Jane, like ever.

Looking down at the way the young woman held her hand to her chest, he just shook his head and kneeled down beside her. "Really, Miss Lewis, an iPod isn't worth hurting yourself." He pulled a clean handkerchief from his suit pocket and held out his hand for hers.

Darcy looked at the offered hand and debated the intelligence of giving her hand to him. Knowing SHIELD he had some weird MIB gadget that he was going to use on her the moment she touched him. Then again he had never actually played those tricks with her back when they had met in New Mexico. Finally making up her mind she set her bleeding hand in his, wincing as he worked to clean the cut.

"You remember I'm an unpaid intern right? I can't afford to keep losing valuable equipment. Hard to buy things on a nonexistent salary." Darcy looked away from the man beside her, trying to tell herself that the slight flutter in her chest was because she had been caught sneaking behind SHIELD's invisible police tape, and not the careful way he moved that bit of cloth over her hand. Who was she kidding, she always did have a thing for the Knight in Shining Armor kind of guy. That had been the reason for the very ill-advised kiss with the intern during the battle.

"I'm not going to debate with you the meaning of valuable equipment. Though I do seem to remember an offer made to you two years ago that could have taken care of your unpaid situation." After making sure that all blood and fragments of rock were cleared from her hand, he wrapped the wound carefully with the handkerchief, tucking the ends upon one another to hold it in place. "You know that offer is still in place, though we might have to amend a few of the details now that I am dead."

"You are real funny, you know that?" Darcy pulled her hand to her chest once he had let go, but she didn't move to stand, only settled further down into the rubble. "Seriously though, like I told you before, I'm not abandoning Jane. I might not get paid, but it is worth it. She is my friend and she needs me."

"She needed your support when Thor left, but he has returned has he not? She is still your friend, but I think it is time you started thinking about yourself." Reaching once again into his pocket he pulled out a small white card, blank but for a single hand written phone number. "This is an open-ended offer, Miss Lewis. Call me tomorrow or in two more years, it doesn't matter, a position will be ready for you."

Darcy took the card with numb fingers and watched as he stood up and dusted off the rubble from his knees.

"Oh, and before you leave, I want you to go over there and tell them what happened to your hand." Phil gestured to a group of agents dressed in white gathered in one little corner. "We don't know enough about the aliens that invaded this time, and I would rather be safe than sorry if something got into that cut that shouldn't have." With that he turned and went back to his team, all of which were staring at him like he had grown two more heads. Well, except May who looked like she was trying to scowl and smirk at the same time.

* * *

Darcy had gone back to the flat a few hours later, a few hours she had spent dealing with stupid SHIELD doctors that wanted to take her in for testing. They had been so excited about possibly having a subject with alien DNA or some shit in their veins. If it hadn't been for the too cutest, and youngest, set of scientists she had ever seen coming to her rescue she was sure she would be in some weird ET set up.

When she had walked through the door she had fully expected to be berated for being gone so long, but what she found instead was Jane and Thor trying to eat each other's faces on the couch while Erik drew furiously on a whiteboard and Ian tried to get him to put pants on. Darcy had sighed and gone straight to her room then.

She hadn't wanted to let what Agent Undead said get to her, but what better proof had she? She had told everyone she would be gone two hours at most, but it had actually been six. She had gotten not one call to check up on her, nothing to even make sure she hadn't been mugged or chopped up into little pieces and made into pies.

Ok, so logically she knew she was being a bit dramatic. It really wasn't strange for her to go out and get distracted. She had once gone down to the shops to get a package of these yummy little cookie things she had become addicted to and ended up exploring for four hours. Jane had stopped checking in on her after the fifth time she went off. Still, it bothered Darcy that no one even asked her what she had been up to when she got home. Not one even looked her way.

She knew they cared for her, but maybe Coulson had been right. She would be lying if she said it hadn't crossed her mind already. Jane had needed her after Thor left, she had been there for the older woman to lean on and cry on. Now though, Thor was back and the little place she had carved out for herself was being filled in. She wasn't even needed when it came to Erik, Ian seemed to have that all in order. So what would they need her for now, fetching coffee?

Flopping down on her bed she looked at the neatly penned numbers and tried to decide if the itch in her dialing fingers was a good thing or a bad thing.

* * *

Phil watched from the corner of his eye as the medical unit basically harassed Miss Lewis. He shook his head before sending FitzSimmons to rescue her. He turned back to the work once he realized that she would be alright and ended up coming face to face with May.

"Not now and not here." He had known what she had been thinking the moment he finished speaking to Miss Lewis, and he really didn't need to hear it.

"I don't know what you are thinking, but that girl is a liability." May flicked her eyes back and forth between Coulson and the young woman. There was always something, some wrench thrown in the works.

"That woman is smart, she won't talk." Miss Lewis might like to present herself as some flighty little girl at times, but Phil knew just how intelligent she was. She would know without asking that there was a reason he was dead and wouldn't out him.

"Even if she is, we don't need her. Skye already fills that role, we don't need two hackers on board." Sometimes she could really wring Coulson's neck. Really, the risks he took because of some pretty damsel he thought needed rescuing.

"There is more to her than hacking. And what makes you think that I plan on asking her to join us? Maybe I'll send her to one of the bases. Might be a good match for Stark actually." Thinking about the run-ins he had with Miss Lewis he changed his mind, those two should never meet. Ever.

"You and I both know you won't." May looked over to where Lewis was getting a shot from a very disappointed looking doctor. She was not getting paid enough.

"Then it's futile to even talk about this."

* * *

May had been right of course, he had never planned on sending off Miss Lewis. His plan since he had met her had been to integrate her into his team. The only difference now was the other members of said team. He had known she would annoy yet endear herself to Sitwell and Barton would adore her. His new team, well he couldn't be sure of much. Though he did have his guesses.

When her call came in a day after the Berserker incident he had left his team in their hotel rooms and took off after her himself. He hadn't wanted to overwhelm her and the fact that May and Ward locked themselves away worked to his advantage. He should have been disappointed in them, but at the moment he was just thankful that May was distracted, because once she realized he took off on his own there would be hell to pay.

Miss Lewis had been waiting for him amidst the piles of rubble that remained in Greenwich, hands wringing at her sides and bags at her feet. She looked as though she had run all the way from London, her chest rapidly moving up and down as she scanned for him. He took a moment to just look at her and feel guilt. She was still so young, maybe only a year or two older than Skye.

"Are you going to help me with my bags or just slink in the shadows?" Though she couldn't see him she knew he was there. Maybe it was her nerves, but she swore she could feel a difference in the air when he showed up.

"I'm just observing. Why did you want to meet me here?" He stepped out from the shadows and grabbed a hold of one of her bags, his eyes zoning in on the bit of wrapping around the hand she injured. In her twitching fingers she had his handkerchief, washed and folded neatly.

"If I stayed in London it would make it that much easier for you to be seen. If any of them actually noticed I was gone that is." Darcy couldn't help the bitter note to her voice, but not once since she returned from Greenwich that day did one of them mention her absence. It hurt more than Darcy wanted to admit.

"You didn't tell them you were leaving." It wasn't a question, but a simple stated fact. He would have been able to figure it out even if she hadn't said anything. It was the way she twitched, the way her fingers kept curling and uncurling, and the way she bit into her lower lip. She looked more like a young girl that had snuck out to meet with her boyfriend than a grown woman signing up for a job.

"Didn't figure I needed to, they probably won't realize I'm gone for at least a month." Darcy crossed her arms over her chest and looked away. It hurt to not be needed. She jolted when she felt two warm hands wrap around her wrists, pulling her arms back down to her sides before a single finger slipped under her chin and lifted her face until she was looking into the calm face of Agent Coulson.

"I doubt that. Most likely Thor will be searching the world for you before lunch. I never said that they didn't care for you, it is obvious they do to anyone looking on. Before we go anywhere I want to make sure you aren't doing this because you think they don't want you." Phil had done some pretty shitty things in his line of work, but to realize he had unwittingly manipulated the woman in front of him to believe her friends didn't love her was the worst.

"I know they care, but you were right. I'm not needed anymore and it is time I did something for myself." She smiled, even if it was a little wetly. She hoped that he didn't change his mind now that she had realized how much she needed a change.

"Good, then before we take off I want you to call and leave a message for your friends. We really don't need a worried Thunder-God rampaging all over the world looking for you." Phil slipped his finger from under her chin and bent down to retake the bag and gather up the rest of her luggage.

"I'm not really sure what to say, not like I can tell them I'm going off to work with a dead man." Darcy laughed a little and tried to take one of her bags from Coulson. Not that he allowed her too, which really at the moment didn't even bother her.

"Tell them that after everything that happened you needed some time to decompress. Say that you are going to visit a cousin for a while and that you will be in touch. If things don't work out you can return to them none-the-wiser, if it does you can call and tell them you found a job and are happy where you are." Phil motioned for Miss Lewis to proceed him, a strange feeling in his gut at seeing the smile she still wore.

"Alright, but I can't say decompress, Jane would know something is wrong right away." Darcy laughed a bit, but quieted when she felt a warm hand press carefully against her lower back.

"Sometimes, Miss Lewis, you don't give yourself enough credit when it comes to how smart and eloquent you are."

* * *

Life after making the decision to leave was strange for Darcy. She had expected to end up working as some office lackey, her immediate boss some stuffed-upped, generic suit. She figured she would be filing papers and fetching coffee amidst training. Instead she found herself working directly under Coulson, living on a plane nicknamed the Bus, and sleeping on a couch as Coulson seemed to forget that there were no more bunks available. Not that she was really complaining, she had slept on worse.

The problem really lied in her so called co-workers. Besides Coulson, she also worked with the cute, little scientists she had met back in Greenwich, Agent May who looked like she wanted to wipe the floor with her and Agent Ward who looked like he wanted to toss her off the Bus. Those two she could deal with, she just avoided the former and did everything she could to annoy the latter. It was Skye that was the problem. It wasn't that they were bitchy to each other, but neither of them knew what to make of the other. Skye was a hacker, Darcy was a hacker… sort of… it really didn't add up why Coulson wanted her to work with them.

"Why am I here?" Darcy leaned against the doorframe to Coulson's office. She had been in there only a handful of times, mostly just to annoy him, and it never ceased to amuse her the amount of memorabilia he had displayed around the room.

"To annoy me most likely." Phil gave a quick look up at the woman in front of him. Whenever he had seen her before she had always been packed in layers, but she had taken to wearing nothing but a pair of ripped up jeans and a t-shirt with a naughty saying scrawled across her breasts. He figured it had to do with the way it always made Fitz go bright red, she loved to giggle at him every time. Today she stood in front of him in a pair of low slung denim jeans with large rips in the upper thighs, a peach shirt with the words "Damsel by day, Wench by Knight" printed across the stretched front, and no shoes. She had the air of careless decadence about her, something that was starting to unnerve him if he was honest.

"Well yeah, but I meant on the Bus. Why am I here? You obviously don't need me, Skye is a much better hacker than I am. I can't kick villain ass like May and Ward, and as much as the science twins remind me of Jane they really don't need wrangling. I'm at a loss here." She stepped into the room, coming around to slip up and sit on the edge of Coulson's desk.

"You have other talents besides hacking and science wrangling. You are highly intelligent, even if you refuse to acknowledge it half the time." Phil set down his pen and leaned back in his chair. Miss Lewis had been on the Bus for a couple of weeks so far, but it had been enough time to observe her. She was smart, but she tended to hide it from others unless she wanted something. Most likely it was a reaction from her childhood, a jealous sibling or demanding parent that found little value in intelligence. No matter what caused it, Phil planned to work it out of her.

"I don't see how my knowledge of obscure Harry Potter characters and eighties movie trivia will be of any help on missions." Darcy felt a blush creep up her chest and over her cheeks. It wasn't the first time he had complimented her, but each and every time it made her feel all fluttery.

"You never know, knowing the original ending to Pretty in Pink could hold the key to our survival one day." Phil watched as a smile started to bloom across her face. There was nothing like seeing her eyes light up and her lips twitch upwards. He found himself striving to make her smile at least once a day, even if he really didn't understand why.

"Funny man, I can't believe you actually said that with a straight face. Seriously though, why am I here?" Darcy reached over and fiddled with one of the many gadgets on Coulson's desk. She inhaled sharply as his hand shot out to cover hers and remove it from the object.

"You are here to work with me, not them, me. You could be an excellent agent one day, not just "kicking ass" but intelligence. Spy work, Miss Lewis, intel gathering and decoding. And let us not forget about your background in Political Science. That will come in handy one day." Phil removed his hand from hers and set it with his other one in his lap.

"You know, I wish you would call me Darcy. I mean if we are going to be working together and all." Darcy smiled down brightly at the man in front of her. Skye liked to tease that he couldn't smile, and if he ever did it would make his face split apart. But Darcy knew better, mostly as she watched his lips curl slowly up into a beautiful smile.

"Well then, Darcy, maybe you should call me Phil."

* * *

Things changed from that point on in ways that neither Phil nor Darcy could have expected. Phil had begun to undertake Darcy's training, meaning that the two spent most of their time together. Time that wasn't always spent on strictly on Shield training.

"This isn't real, is it?" Darcy stood behind Phil's desk, her fingers edging over the corners of a small glass case. Inside held what looked to be a Captain America ring with detachable mini-shield.

"Number 42 out of 1,000. You know I wouldn't have a replica displayed like that." Phil leaned back in his chair so he could look up at Darcy. She seemed to almost stroke the display box, her eyes a little damp. "Are you alright?"

"I used to have one. It wasn't this well kept though." Darcy pulled back from the display case and sat at her usual place; the corner of Phil's desk. "My Grandpap gave it to me when I was five. When he was a kid he had saved up all his pennies and worked extra jobs on the weekend just so he could afford it. The thing kind of became an heirloom, though my Mom hadn't wanted to have anything to do with it."

Phil liked when Darcy talked about her life before Shield. He probably shouldn't, but he couldn't help the warm feeling he got watching the emotions rush across her face as she spoke.

"I wore that ring everyday to school that year, and everyday until Grandpap died when I was ten." Darcy held back the tears that threatened to fall. Out of all her family, Grandpap had been the one she had been closest to. He used to sit her on his knee and tell her stories about when he was a child. "I placed the ring in his casket alongside all the roses. I knew how much he had loved it and thought he should've been buried with it."

Phil stood from his chair, the need to make the woman in front of him smile almost overwhelming. He turned quickly, reaching out and unlocking the box. When he turned back to Darcy he had the small plastic ring between two fingers.

"It's not your Grandpap's, but you can… you can wear this one for awhile." Leaning forward, Phil took one of Darcy's hand and slipped the ring onto her finger.

Darcy stared down at her hand for a minute before flinging herself at Phil. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him in close so she could press a kiss to his cheek.

"I'll be careful with it, I promise."

* * *

Darcy had never known fear like she did while standing next to Skye on that bridge; her eyes focused on the bright flames in front of her. She wasn't sure of much that happened after that, only that Skye had pulled her up off her knees and led her back to the car, and a little later on Jemma had put her to bed.

Things after that had become a whirlwind. Agents flooded the Bus and the only bit of piece Darcy could find was in Phil's office, where she locked herself away after having it out a bit with that tits as cold as ice Agent Hand. It was during that time that Skye was sent off the bus.

Darcy had planned out a long rant, a wonderfully poignant rant about how important the other woman was, but before she could even take one step towards the Agent, Ward and pulled her back into Phil's office. She pounded on the door when he somehow locked her in from outside and shouted through the door that Coulson would have his head if he allowed anything to happen to her. And so she remained locked in that damn office until Phil returned.

* * *

The lock on the door clicked and Darcy flung back from where she had been trying to unlock the door. She figured it was Ward, come with food again. Only when the door swung open it was to a bloodied and battered Phil. Darcy hadn't taken a moment to think about what she was doing, just flung herself into his arms and attached her lips to his.

Phil groaned, both in pain and pleasure as she gathered the woman in his arms even tighter against his chest. After everything he had been through he wanted nothing more than to never let Darcy go again. The problem with that of course was that sooner or later a person needed breath. Not that he let her get far once they broke apart; his forehead resting against hers.

"Can't say I've ever had a homecoming quite like that before." Phil laughed as Darcy's lips pressed into a little pout.

"Can't say I've ever felt the need to give a homecoming like that." Darcy slipped her hands up and through his hair, cradling his head as he rested it against hers. "Don't ever give me the need to do that again."

"Darcy…" Phil pulled back a little, just enough so he could look into her eyes without going cross-eyed. He wished he could promise her that, but his life, his work…

"I know, just…" Leaning her head on his chest, she cuddled up as close to him as she could.

Phil looked around his office and down at the woman in his arms. His office had been locked from the outside, a special feature meant to trap intruders, and Darcy had been inside. He had a horrible idea about how that happened.

"Which one locked you in here?"

"Ward. I hope you realize that I'm going to taser his ass after this." Darcy had spent her time in Phil's office trying to get out, worrying over Phil, and plotting her revenge on Ward.

"I would expect nothing less. I'll even lend you mine, much stronger than yours."

* * *

Darcy knew he was keeping something from her. He woke up several times a night, sweating and out of breath, his whole body shaking. She wanted to ask him what haunted him so much, and yet she didn't. She wasn't sure she could handle knowing what horrors he had been subjected to. And so she did what she could; curling around him after one of his nightmares, offering him what comfort she could through touch.

As their relationship grew so did the horrors in their life. Between boys playing god, Skye almost dying, and an honest to God siren walking around, Darcy was ready for a bit of down time. Not that she expected to get some any time soon.

Phil jerked awake, his whole body thrumming with energy. He laid on his back just breathing for a minute before he felt the warmth of a body cover his. He opened his eyes to see Darcy hovering over him. His heart constricted at the look of sadness on her face. He lifted a hand to cradle her cheek, her eyes closing as he touched her.

"You deserve better." It was the same thing he told her every night, and as much as he believed it he also feared one day her response would be different. Thankfully, that night wouldn't be it.

"And you deserve the world." Darcy leaned down until her lips pressed gently over his. "Let me so it to you."

* * *

When Shield fell Darcy had been by Phil's side. She had had a gun strapped to her thigh even though she had much preferred her taser. Phil had done his best to protect her, but she still had a gunshot wound in her right shoulder.

Phil's hands were shaking as he cleaned up Darcy. He probably should have let Simmons fix her up, but he wanted the time alone with her. He had almost lost her, and that was something he didn't think he could deal with.

"Phil…" Darcy pressed her left hand to the one Phil was using to stitch her up. He was shaking like a leaf, and that scared her. Phil rarely showed weakness outside of their bedroom, but there he was practically vibrating.

"I think it is time you returned to Dr. Foster." He hadn't wanted to say it, but he would rather be without her than live in a world where she was dead.

"Screw that!" Darcy tried to jump off the table, but Phil held her there by her hips.

"I mean it. You will be safer, now that… you need to go." Phil tied off the thread, wiped down her shoulder and wrapped it up. He would make her hate him if he had to, but she had to go.

"I doubt I'll be any safer. You know as well as I do that they will be after Jane and her research." Darcy had always feared the day she would wake up and find out that it had all been a dream. Sitting before him now she wished it had been a dream. That she didn't know what he tasted like, how he smelled, and just what it meant to love him.

"Thor will be there, I have no doubt you will be safe." What he didn't say was that he would make sure of it. He would find a way to make sure no one could touch her.

Darcy clasped her hands around Phil's face, tears falling down her own. She wasn't sure what was worse; thinking that he never loved her at all, or that he was giving her up to save her.

"Don't send me away… please." She pressed her forehead against his the same way he had done to her after their first kiss. Only instead of a bright smile on her face, she dripped tears on his cheeks.

"I need you safe, and that is not with me." He pulled her to him, one arm going around her and the other to thread in her hair. "Please."

Darcy's tears made way to full sobs as she pressed her lips to his. She knew that he had made up his mind, and as much as she hated it, she knew she would go. For now though, for now she would spend what time she had left to memorize every touch, every taste, and every piece she could, because she had a feeling that it would be the last time… not just for awhile, but forever.

* * *

Phil knew that it shouldn't hurt as much as it did, that he had no right to feel upset. He had been the one to send her away, he had been the one to ask Hill to set up Dr. Foster and Darcy at SI. Hell, it had been two years since it all happened. He had no right to feel bad, but it didn't stop him from feeling as though his heart was being ripped out.

"You'll be there, won't you?" Darcy leaned into the chest at her side, a bright smile on her face. She hadn't seen Phil since she had left two years ago, though she knew he had been around.

Living in Avengers Tower allowed her to access information she normally wouldn't have been able to. So she had known when Phil and the others had revealed themselves the year before.

"Um… Yeah, of course. I wouldn't miss it." Phil's eyes switched back and forth between Darcy and the man holding her. It shouldn't hurt, but it did.

"We are both grateful, Agent Coulson. Darcy has told me a lot about her time with your team. It wouldn't feel right not having you at the wedding." Steve squeezed Darcy closer and bent down a bit so he could press a kiss to the top of her head. In some ways he felt thankful towards Agent Coulson. Hill had told him that it had been him that suggested Jane and her team working for Tony. If it hadn't been for that he never would have met and fell in love with Darcy.

"I'll be there, don't worry." Phil swallowed back the large lump in his throat. His eyes settled on Darcy and the huge smile on her face, and he realized everything was worth it. As long as Darcy was safe and happy, it all had been worth it.

* * *

Author's Note: So this had taken me much, much longer than I had planned. Oh well, I've got it done. Not a happy one I know, but it was a bit hard to write a happy one after listening to the song.

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.


	2. Selfish

Hat-Trick: AgentTaser #2

Song: Affliction ~ AFI

Genre: Drama/Tragedy

Spoiler Alert: Pretty much if you've seen the first season of AOS, TWS, and TDW then you are fine.

Rating: M for Suicide

* * *

Selfish

* * *

!WARNING! THIS FIC IS ABOUT SUICIDE! IF THIS WILL UPSET YOU, PLEASE DON'T READ. I WOULD RATHER HAVE FEW READS THAN CAUSE SOMEONE HARM!

* * *

Darcy laid curled up on her side of the bed, her forehead and knees pressing against the cold wall. There was an emptiness in her; something completely devoid of feeling. It was a numbness… Darcy's eyes stared straight ahead, unblinking as she tried to define the feeling within her. Words were weak, nothing in the whole of creation could correctly express what it was she was feeling/not feeling.

It hadn't always been that way for her, she had once been happy. She couldn't pinpoint when things went to shit, maybe somewhere between London and her return to the states. All she remembered was waking up one morning and thinking how lovely it would be just to never wake again.

She had hid the way she felt for a long time; pasting magazine smiles on her face to hide her blank expression. She had gone out, had fun with her friends, and went to work. It all seemed perfectly normal to everyone watching. Everyone but Phil.

It had taken another God damned machine hell bent on killing everyone for Coulson to make his return to the living. Actually it had been the fact that Darcy was once again in the middle of it all and Coulson had rushed out to save her head.

Darcy had gone with him then, separated from Jane as she had been. For awhile Darcy had been able to push away the nothingness; she had purpose in helping Phil had his team. But as before things turned to shit. She had tried to hide it from him as she had done with the others. She hadn't realized just how perceptive Phil was though.

He had done his best to help her, and doing so he had fallen in love. Darcy knew she felt the same way, even if sometimes the nothingness seemed to mute the feelings. It was why she held the small needle in her hand.

She knew people would call her selfish. They would talk about how she hadn't thought about anyone but herself. They were wrong though. They didn't understand that it was Phil she thought about the most.

He spent so much of his time caring for her, and she saw the agony on his face. She wanted to get better, but she couldn't seem to swim out of that black-hole. He thought he hid it well from her, just how much her depression hurt him. But she could see it in his eyes and the set of his mouth. It hurt every time he looked at her with pain in his eyes.

Without blinking Darcy lowered the needle until she could feel her skin break. She imagined she could feel that cursed nothingness filling as the substance filled her veins. Her lids slowly lowered, a small smile on her face. Both her and Phil were finally free.

* * *

Author's Note: Ok, sorry about this one! I first had thought to write a brainwashed-Hydra!Darcy, but after listening to the song again and thinking about suicide and peoples' reactions to it I decided I had to do this.

The thing is I have heard over and over from people that someone who commits suicide is selfish, and it pisses me off. Why? Because I know what it is like to want to just end things. Let me tell you, unless you've ever been to that point just SHUT UP! When someone is to that point it is more than just wanting to end their own suffering. It is different for everyone, but suicide is so much more complicated than you think. So please, STOP telling people who are suicidal or the families of those lost to suicide that they are/were selfish. I'm not saying that I'm alright with suicide, but someone at that point needs caring, love, and understanding, not more guilt heaped upon them.

And if any of you out there are feeling like suicide is the only way out, please talk to someone…. Anyone! I know how much it hurts, and how hard it can be. But YOU are worth EVERYTHING!

That said, the next one should be a happy fic.

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.


	3. Out Of Time

Hat-Trick: AgentTaser #3

Song: More ~ Madonna (Dick Tracy soundtrack)

Genre: Romance/Drama

Spoiler Alert: Pretty much if you've seen the first season of AOS, TWS, and TDW then you are fine.

Rating: T

Author's Note: This is seriously AU, this is sort of the idea that when Coulson was brought back to life after Avengers it wasn't the first time, and that he was actually one of the original Howling Commandos.

* * *

Out Of Time

* * *

Phil walked slowly through the Captain American exhibit, his eyes taking in every little detail around him. He knew going had been a risk, his survival was still need to know, and he was sure there were a few around there that didn't need that knowledge yet. Still there was something pulling him there, something more than just his childhood obsession with Captain America.

Stopping in front of the display of uniforms, Phil felt as though he had the wind knocked out of him. Since his resurrection he had found things in his mind out of place, as though the memories of his childhood somehow didn't fit right and were slowly being pushed out. Though what was replacing them he couldn't say.

His eyes settled on the display above him, and he had to keep himself from toppling over. A burning pain shot through his head as he tried to make sense of everything. There was something missing up there, two uniforms that should be there that wasn't. He wasn't sure what made him believe that, but he felt it in his heart as sure as he knew the earth was round.

Hands settled on his shoulders and he found himself being maneuvered away from the crowds and into a dark corner. He allowed the stranger to lead him to a single folding chair and set him down. He finally gave in and pressed his hands tightly around his temples. Everything in his mind was shifting, pieces of himself pushed away and obliterated into nothing more than mist.

Those same hands that had led him away from the display slid down the back of his head, the fingers carding through his hair. He leaned into the touch, feeling somehow comforted by the stranger's touch. He could hear whispered words of reassurance, but he couldn't focus on them as image after image assaulted him. With each one he felt a piece of his old self dissolve and himself become just a bit more whole.

* * *

Phil rambled off his name and number over and over, the mummer of his friend on the other side of the room joining him. They had been the only two prisoners brought to the back room that hadn't left in a body-bag. He wasn't so sure if that was a blessing or not.

Footsteps echoed sharply through the room, and Phil waited for the pain that came with the mad doctor's visits. Instead he felt the straps across his body flung off him and a set of strong arms slip around him. He barely paid attention to what was going on beyond the fact that him and Bucky had apparently been rescued.

The world around him exploded in bright flashes of blue and red. The arms around him dropped, and Phil had to summon as much energy as he could just to remain standing. Bucky slipped up beside him, and the two made off side by side following the large soldier in front of them.

He didn't question it, not the man that looked like he wore part of the freaking American flag, or that Bucky apparently knew the man. After the experiments and the pain Phil didn't giving a flying fuck about anything other than getting his Goddamned ass out of there. Though he was sure later on when he had time to process all the shit he had gone through he would be questioning the fact that he had watched a man tear his own face off. He thought that was something he should probably question, but at the moment he was too worried about making it out of the place alive.

* * *

Phil walked slowly through the camp, his boots gathering up even more mud as he made his way around the tents. They had been back just hours, but already he had been checked by medical and sent on his way. All the others besides Bucky had to be treated for various ailments, but the two of them had been told all they needed was sleep. And that was something Phil wanted to avoid as much as he could, he didn't even want to think about the nightmares that awaited him.

"Steve! I swear to God I could kill you!"

Phil blinked at the piercing scream. He turned towards the voice, coming to stand outside of one of the tents he had been told belonged to the USO tour. He moved slowly so not to call attention to himself, and peeked inside to find his rescuer being chastised by a little brunette.

"What would you expect me to do? Bucky was out there, I wasn't about to leave him to die!" Steve ran a hand through his hair as he looked down at the young woman.

"I understand that, but… Steve, do you realize how worried all us girls were?" The brunette looked down and slipped off the long gloves she wore, her face shooting up with a fiery look in her eyes. "Damn it, Steve! I thought you were dead!" The woman started slapping Steve in the chest with her gloves over and over until she had the man backed up against one wall of the tent.

"Oh, come on now Darce, I'm fine. Hey, I'm Captain America." Steve gave a cheeky little smile down at her, a smile that fell quickly when the woman just glared.

"Don't start that with me, you're not a soldier." Darce twirled around from him and tossed her gloves across the tent.

"As much as everyone wants to pretend otherwise I'm not a dancing monkey, I am a soldier. You all forget I have been trained, just like everyone else out there." Steve dropped the act, his body going straight as he looked at the back of the woman.

"The difference is that they've seen war, you've only played at it." Darce jumped as Steve clasped his hands around her shoulders and forcefully turned her around.

"I never wanted it that way and you know it, you were there from the beginning. You know this was not what we were meant for, this dancing on strings, we are soldiers." Steve slipped his hands up to cup her face and held her close. "You seem to have forgotten that."

"If you think I was actually picked to fight you are even more naïve than I thought." Darce pulled away and moved to sit on the edge of the cot.

"You don't believe they meant us to…?" Steve blinked down at the woman in front of him. "You are like my sister."

"I wasn't the only woman picked, just the first one. Compatible they said." Darce shook her head before resting it in her hands. "Sometimes you are so innocent, Steve."

"I'm not as innocent as you might think. And I'm not a coward either, you might not want to fight, but I'm not going to spend my time dancing for pennies when I could be out there fighting." Steve took a step forward, but quickly changed his mind and slipped out the other side of the tent.

Phil stood there, his mind trying to work out everything he had just heard. When he had gotten back to camp he had been informed that the man who rescued him had been Captain America. It was a piece of information that he had found funny, being rescued by an actor. He was beginning to realize that maybe there was more going on than anyone else knew.

"You might as well come in before someone catches you, I'd hate to see what Steve would do to you if he gets wind of your spying."

Startled, Phil let out an undignified squeak, but still moved forward into the tent. The woman, Darce, was still sitting on the edge of the cot with her head in her hands.

"I didn't mean to spy." He really didn't know what to say, he had no idea who this woman was beyond being one of the chorus girls from the show.

"Yes you did, that's alright though. I'm not sure I really want to be alone right now." Darce looked up and gave a weak smile, her eyes shining with unshed tears. "You one of the men he rescued?"

"Yes Ma'am, Sergeant Phillip Coulson." Phil extended a hand, allowing it to fall back to his side when the woman didn't move.

"You were the one Steve found with Bucky." It wasn't a question, just a simple statement of fact.

"You know Bucky Ma'am?" Phil clasped his hands behind his back and just looked down at the woman.

"Not in person, just from the stories Steve always tells." Darce stood from the cot and went to a large trunk in the corner of the tent, bending down and rummaging through it.

"Yeah, um, Bucky is always talking about his friend back home. But I have to say that the description doesn't really match up to the man at all." Phil kept his eye firmly away from the woman bent almost all the way over. She was still in her costume and the way she was positioned at the moment meant he could see everything underneath.

"Eh, he was a late bloomer." Darce laughed as she straightened up, a bottle in hand. "Here we are."

"I beg your pardon Ma'am, but I don't think any kind of blooming had anything to do with it." He looked over towards the trunk to find the woman once again fully upright with a bottle of cheap whisky in her hands.

"Don't call me Ma'am, the name's Darcy Lewis, but Darce works well. Though call me doll and I'll break your legs." Darce twisted the cap off the bottle and took a large sip before handing the bottle over.

"If the General found out you had this you'd be in trouble." Phil took the bottle, and ignoring his last words, tipped it up and gulped down a mouthful.

"Nothin' that he can really do. Plus Grandaddy is just a big pussycat, don't let his growl bother you." Darcy laughed as Phil choked on the whisky and took the bottle back to down a swallow herself.

"You're the General's granddaughter? Fuck, sorry, but I'm dead." Phil watched on as Darcy laid herself out on the cot, and he wondered if he would have been safer back with Hydra.

"Not really, but it pisses him off when I call him that. I've known him for awhile now, he's never liked me, but I'm kind of too important for him to do anything to." Darcy winked and then patted the side of the cot. She smiled wide as Phil sat down and took the bottle back.

"Just how important, in fact how important is your friend? I heard what you two were talking about, and I'm not dumb enough to believe it's about basic training." He looked down at the bottle surprised that half of it was gone already and all he felt was a slight relaxing of his body. He should've started to feel fussy by that point, but his head was still as clear as ever. He wondered if the whisky was defective.

"Classified, for now anyway. All I will tell you, is that once this war is over, Steve and I will no longer be our own people. We signed that away awhile ago." Darcy relaxed further into the cot, one of her legs moving up to run along Phil's back.

"That doesn't sound right." He wasn't an idiot, he knew that the military had been doing experiments, he just didn't know about what. Though after seeing Bucky's Steve he had a pretty fair idea.

"Nothing ever is, but at least right now I'm my own woman." Darcy turned over on her side, curling her legs around Phil's side. She lifted up enough that she could run her hand up his back and into his hair. "And right now I need a distraction."

"Ma'am… Darcy, uh…" Phil turned to look at the woman curled around him and felt all the blood in his body drain away and gather in one area.

"I'm not talking about commitment here, just a bit of mutual distraction. I'm sure whatever you went through out there was horrific." Darcy uncurled herself from around him and went to stand in front of him, her hand placed out in front of her. "Come on, trust me."

Phil looked from her face, to her hand and back. He could really get in trouble for what he was thinking, not just from Captain America, but from the General if what he suspected was true. Still, she was right, he needed to take his mind off of everything and he hadn't felt that particular pleasure in too long. With a smile he took her hand and pulled her onto his lap.

* * *

Phil looked between him and the others as Steve walked away. It was probably crazy agreeing to join Captain America, but the man had saved him when he could have easily left him on that table and he figured it was the least he could do. Not to mention he really wanted to kick the shit out of Hydra's ass for what they had done to him.

"You know, we are going to need a name." Dum Dum set down his already empty glass and wiped at his bushy face.

"And what would you suggest? And be warned if you make any mention of chorus girls I will stick a grenade up your ass." Gabe glared over the top of his glass at the larger man.

"That's what I'm talkin' about. Once people find out our commander is Captain America there are goin' to be all kinds of jokes." Dum Dum winked at Gabe, but before anyone could make another comment his eyes grew large. "Speaking about chorus girls, isn't that one of Cap's?"

Phil turned around and felt his heart speed up at the sight before him. Darcy weaved her way through the pub alongside of Agent Carter. Both of them looked beautiful, but he only had eyes for Darcy. After that night in her tent, they had parted ways. He hadn't thought he would ever see her again, but there she was walking past his table and completely ignoring him.

"You don't think the Ol' Cap is stepping out with her, do you?" Dum Dum's eyes followed Darcy as she slipped into the back room with Carter.

Phil wanted to deck him in the nose, but one night in her bed did not make her his girl. With that in mind, he stood from the table and made his way to the bar, Jim's words following him: "Lucky bastard. Probably had his pick of girls on the tour."

He stationed himself at the bar with another pint in hand, far enough away from the other room he didn't look like he was snooping, but close enough he could hear what they were saying. He pressed himself closer to the bar as Agent Carter slipped past, hoping that she hadn't noticed him.

"So, I'm here." Darcy sounded tired.

"No need to sound so excited." And of course Bucky sounded amused.

"I'm not, this isn't what I was made for."

Phil felt his brows raise at that, he had had his suspicions on what had happened back in the states but never anything solid to go on.

"Neither was dancing. Come on Darce, I know you can do this." Steve's voice was the softest that Phil had ever heard.

"Maybe I don't want to do this. Look, I signed up to help my people, but I'm not sure I could actually kill someone."

Phil's hands tightened around his glass as he realized just what she was doing there. He hadn't thought that Steve would ever recruit Darcy for their little group, but if what he guessed was correct it made sense. Even if he didn't like it.

"I need you Darcy, we need you."

Phil stopped himself from leaning back so he could see what was going on as well, and just downed half his beer.

"I'm guessing those goons out there are going to be our team." Darcy sighed, her voice sounding even more tired than a moment ago.

"They are good men. I know this is not ideal, but we can do it."

"Steve, leave the lady alone. You can't ask her to go trapezing around with eight men." Though Bucky still sounded amused, he also sounded serious.

"Fine, you guys are going to need someone to keep you inline anyway."

"Thank you, Darcy. I know with the two of you by my side we can do this. We're going to stop them and win this war."

"You get me killed on this, know that I will come back and beat the shit out of you. Now, I'm going to go and get a stiff drink."

Phil bowed his head, keeping his eyes on his half empty glass. He hoped Darcy wouldn't recognize him, of course he figured his luck would have to run out some time.

"You have a very bad habit of eavesdropping." Darcy leaned over and took the glass from Phil's hand and downed the rest of the beer.

"I hadn't expected to see you again, mostly here." Phil looked up to find the woman looking at him with a small smile on her face.

"Yeah, well I hadn't really planned on being here either. So, if it's going to be weird for you I suggest you get over it." Darcy waved down the bartender, asking for the strongest drink they had and lots of it.

"I'm not bothered, we didn't do anything wrong. I just thought you didn't want to fight." Phil turned his stool and leaned back a little so he could see all of her. She was even more beautiful than he remembered. It might not have been that long ago, but she seemed to have grown brighter in that time.

"I was being selfish, after seeing all of you after Steve brought you back scared me. But Steve is right, I can do this and I should." Darcy downed half her glass in one go before turning to look at him with a pained smile.

"Are you ever going to tell me what they did to you?" He had been trying to figure it out, listening closely when people whispered, but all he could make out was something called Project Rebirth and nothing else.

"Maybe, it's bound to come up if we are all working together." Darcy raised her glass and downed the rest of it. "Come on, if you come with me to meet the rest of our little group of idiots maybe I won't kill any of them."

Phil slid off his stool and followed Darcy to the table with the others. He wasn't sure what the Captain was thinking, but hopefully everything wouldn't blow up in their faces.

* * *

Phil slid down the side of the building and tried to get his breathing to slow. Each of his teammates laughed as the smoke cleared. It had been another successful mission, another Hydra base dismantled. He looked down as he felt a hand slip into his free one. He smiled at the woman next to him and squeezed her hand.

"We got'em!" Darcy wound her fingers with his and leaned a bit more into his side.

"Of course we did." Phil leaned into her, hoping that his gun would hide the fact that they were holding hands. He knew it was silly, everyone knew they were together, even if none of them said anything.

"You owe me though, I got five more than you." Darcy laughed when he raised a single brow.

"I demand a recount." Deciding not to care, Phil tapped Darcy's nose and leaned in to press a single kiss to her smiling lips.

"Alright you two, the place is clear. Let's get out of here before you start rolling around on the ground." Dum Dum winked at the two of them, his smile taking up half his face. "Plus anyway, I got ten more than both of you two put together."

"Shut the fuck up, Dummy!" Darcy stuck her tongue out, but stood and pulled Phil along with her. "Come on, Steve owes me a favor and you need to pay up."

"Keep it down this time! No one needs to hear that!"

* * *

Phil stood next to Darcy, the both of them looking up at the zip-line. He leaned into her side, his hand seeking hers as he listened to Steve and Bucky. As long as their Intel was correct this mission could really pay off in a big way.

"Doesn't look too hard." Darcy gave a cheeky little smile, a peek of her white teeth showing from behind her plump lips.

"Let me guess, back home you did this every Saturday?" Phil laughed when Darcy rolled her eyes. He didn't want to admit it, but there was something about the mission that was bothering him.

"No, silly. After dancing for hours on end in heels day after day this is nothing." Darcy reached up and smoothed her hand through his thinning hair.

"I'll just have to take your word on that." Ignoring the men around them, Phil leaned down until he could press his lips against hers. When he pulled back he could see a hint of tears in her eyes. "When this is all over I'm going to ask you to marry me."

"And I'm going to say yes." A single tear fell from Darcy's eye and was quickly caught when Phil slipped his hand over her cheek.

"Alright you two, enough of the mushy stuff, time to go."

* * *

It had been a trap, of course it had been a trap. Phil leaned back against one side of the train car, his eyes trained on Darcy. They had entered together, guns at the ready. Only neither one could have prepared for what was waiting for them. A high pitched whine drew his attention from Darcy and to the armored man that had just entered the car.

Phil's eyes went wide as Darcy, after mouthing an 'I love you,' stood from her cover and started firing. He didn't have time to yell before Darcy's body was thrown across the car and into the wall. There was a loud snap and a thump as she fell limply to the floor.

His heart tried to beat out of his chest. There was no way what he had seen was real, any minute now Darcy would stand up shouting obscenities and start shooting. Only she didn't. Red took over his vision as Phil dove from his cover shooting. He knew he was out gunned, he knew he would die, but at that moment he couldn't have cared less. If he was going to die, he was going to do it shouting and shooting.

Pain filled his body as he as flung back the same as Darcy. There was a loud snap before he slid down. Darkness crept into his vision, slowly moving inwards as everything faded into nothing.

* * *

Phil woke slowly, the pain in his back almost unbearable. He wasn't sure what was going on, the last he remembered Darcy had been killed and he had followed after her. So why he was awake and in pain he didn't know.

He blinked his eyes open, but even though he could see everything was blurry. The room he was in was brightly lit and smelled like a hospital. He turned his head, his blurry eyes taking in a body lying on the bed next to him. He could just make out Darcy's long waves and sighed in relief.

"They should be waking up soon."

Phil felt his heart speed up at the voice. It was somewhere close, and moving closer if the sound of footfall was any indication. The man sounded American, though Phil knew that didn't mean anything. Still, he held out hope that him and Darcy had been rescued by their own people. Though he still shut his eyes and pretended to sleep.

"I'm surprised the woman hasn't already. She was given the good stuff."

"What are we going to do once they do wake up? I heard General-"

"We've instructions to clean them. The Brass have plans for them."

"What could we possibly need them for now? Why not just let them go home?"

"As far as anyone knows, Sergeant Coulson and Agent Lewis are dead. These two, they are now property of the United States Government."

"Won't the others figure it out?"

"Captain America and Sergeant Barnes are dead, and the remaining Commandos are being dealt with. Now, it would be best to clean them while they are still out."

"Of course, Sir."

Phil willed his heart and breathing to slow. He wasn't sure what "cleaning" was, but he was pretty sure it wasn't good. He listened as one set of steps faded away while the other came to stand behind him.

"I'm sorry Sergeant, you and the Miss deserve more than this. Hopefully they will give you a good life after this."

He felt something clamp over his head, pressing into his temples. He couldn't help the panic, he knew what it was that had just been fitted over him and he had never wanted to feel it again. A gag was shoved into his mouth right before the pain started. He just hoped that Darcy was still out.

* * *

He was leaning fully now into the touch of the stranger, his breathing coming faster and faster. Image after image flashed before his mind. Scenes of strange apartments, strange beds. Of jobs and friends he never remembered having. Of love affairs that never seemed to quite measure up, but to what he hadn't known until then. He could feel the pain of that damned machine after each time he had begun to remember.

They had taken everything from him, his memories, his life, and Darcy. They had wiped their minds and gave them new lives with new families, all so they could control them. He thought he would be sick. How many at Shield had known who he was? How many of them had been part of the illusion, befriending him just to keep an eye on him?

He recalled just after Steve had been found. There had been a feeling in his chest that had been beyond that of seeing a childhood hero. He remembered how Fury had been, the way he had kept looking at him. At one point he had sent Phil from the room, claimed the doctors needed room. He wondered now if they had "cleaned" Steve then, removed him and Darcy from his mind.

Darcy… They had taken her from him, done the same to her. He had seen her all those years ago in the desert and he had passed right over her. He wanted to hurt everyone that had ripped them apart. And what had it all been for? Samples of their blood? What?

"Shhh, now, everything is alright."

Phil stilled as the voice finally registered. He didn't want to hope only to look up and find that his mind had been playing a trick on him. Slowly his opened his eyes and set them on the woman in front of him. Tears gathered at the corners of his eyes and slid down unchecked.

"Darcy…" He reached out a hand, letting it fall before he could touch her cheek.

"The one and only." Darcy gave him a wet smile, her whole body seeming to vibrate where she kneeled.

"How…" He felt as though his tongue had swelled several sizes within his mouth where couldn't talk. Not that Darcy seemed to mind, she just continued to run her fingers through his hair.

"It's been happening slowly through the years. Each and every time they wiped me it seemed to stick less. When you came to take away Jane's research it all started to fall apart." Darcy smiled and settled herself closer to him. "Something told me to be quiet about it, I didn't allow anyone to know that I had been having dreams or strange thoughts. I just allowed them to come. I remembered everything just after London. I've been trying to find you since." A few tears fell down Darcy's cheeks, but she ignored them as Phil slipped down from the chair to kneel in front of her.

"I thought you had died; back on that train, I thought you had died." Phil gathered her up in his arms and just held on as tight as he could.

"I think we both did, but they needed us. Bucky had been lost, fell off the mountain, and well you know what happened to Steve." Darcy curled her arms tightly around him, holding him against her and rocking back and forth.

"They don't need us anymore, this is the end." He wouldn't go back, Shield, Fury, he no longer cared about any of them.

"Not Shield, no. But Steve does, him and Bucky. They need us." Darcy pulled back, her hands coming up to frame his face.

He knew she was right, they had been their friends all those years ago. It wasn't their fault, what happened to them.

"And then when all this is over…" Phil ran his hands up over Darcy's back until he could slip them into her hair. He looked into her eyes, just as wet as his own, and hoped she remembered, hoped she understood.

"I'll be saying yes."

* * *

Author's Note: So, this was a long time coming. Sorry about that, RL gets in the way sometimes. Anyway, I know the song doesn't really match up with the story, but that is my muse's fault. I was just going to do Darcy singing at a club, but my muse went; "Wait, what about 1940s Darcy and Phil as Commandos?" And well here you go.

This was actually kind hard as I only wrote from Phil's pov, I'm not used to doing that.

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.


	4. Ruffled Feathers

Hat-Trick: AgentTaser #4

Song: Everywhere ~ Fleetwood Mac

Genre: Romance/Humor

Spoiler Alert: Pretty much if you've seen the first season of AOS, TWS, and TDW then you are fine.

Rating: T/M (really just for the dropping of one f-bomb)

* * *

Ruffled Feathers

* * *

Phil had dealt with many things in his life that could be considered stressful, dying at the top of that long list. Still he was pretty sure that the woman in the chair before him was working as hard as she could to exceed that. The past month had been a trial in his patience, and he would have gladly faced Loki again than the young woman.

The woman in question was currently stretched out as far as she could in an office chair, her feet propped up on his desk. She had that smug smile he had come to associate with her plastered to her red painted lips. It was a smile he wanted to either smack or kiss off. And wasn't that the problem? Nothing ever ruffled his feathers, made him come undone like this woman, and she knew it.

It had started a month earlier when a mission had lead him to crashing, quite literally, into her London flat. He had expected questions, such as why he was alive, but all she gave him was that damnable smug smile. She had cleaned his wounds, forced him to remain in bed until he had healed all the while playing his nurse. He would admit that it was nice to be looked after, but only to himself. Had she let him go after that without a word there wouldn't have been a problem… of course she hadn't.

She had blackmailed her way into joining him, claiming that he still needed someone to look after him. And now a month later he couldn't get her to leave, not his office and not his head.

"The party really was fun, you should have been there." The smile turned even more smug as Phil squirmed in his seat at the sound of her voice.

"Darcy, I told you before that I am not celebrating my resurrection day." Phil leaned back in his own chair, his hand going directly to pinch the bridge of his nose. The accursed girl had named that day, named it and announced it to his whole team as being an official holiday. It wasn't even the right day, she had simply picked at random via a dart and a calendar.

"Too bad, there was cake." Darcy wiggled her stocking clad toes at the suited man. She knew no one could resist her double chocolate rum cake.

"Don't need the calories." He resisted the urge to reach out and run a single finger up the arch of one of her feet. He was sure that she would be ticklish and would squirm at the action… he shock his head to clear it of that thought. "Now, could you please, I've got work."

"I know a good way to work those off." Darcy winked and wiggled in her chair. She bit her lip when Phil snapped the pen in his hand.

"D…Darcy… work…" He tossed the pen in the waste bin, making sure to keep his eyes on anything but her.

"Fine." Darcy slipped from the chair, moving to stand beside him. "Maybe a private party would be more fun anyway. Cake's gone, but I have plenty of frosting left over."

Phil held his breath as Darcy leaned down to place a breathy kiss against the shell of his ear. He clenched his eyes shut until he could hear the door to his office shut.

He was so fucked.

* * *

Author's Note: Ok, it has been way, way too long, but as I have nothing to do today (well forgetting homework, but I need a damn break) I thought I would go ahead and work on some of my other stuff. This is not very long, but I thought it was kind of funny and cute, also it has been awhile since I wrote Coulson and I haven't watched AOS in a long while, so this really isn't all that compliant with the new stuff.

I'll probably work on the last one in this series and post it today, unless it turns out long. (doubtful as it has been awhile) Hope you enjoyed.

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.


	5. Drifting

Hat-Trick: AgentTaser #5

Song: Whistles the Wind ~ Flogging Molly

Genre: Drama/Angst/Romance

Spoiler Alert: Pretty much if you've seen the first season of AOS, TWS, TDW, AOU, and CA:CW then you are fine. (No spoilers for AOS really cause I am really behind in watching, so this will not be fully compliant with the show)

Rating: T/M (for cussing mainly)

* * *

Drifting

* * *

Phil looked down into his glass, the amber liquid glinting back up at him in the pub's dim lights. It had been a long while since he had drowned his sorrows at this particular establishment, but somehow it seemed appropriate. In a swift move he downed the entire glass of whisky. Before his glass could set back on the bar a full bottle of Jameson was placed beside him.

His eyes turned from the bottle to the woman still holding onto it. He had seen her when he had first entered the pub over an hour before. She had been set back in the corner, face obscured by her messy waves. He had thought she had looked familiar, something about the turn of her wrist as she brought her glass to her lips. Still, he hadn't wanted any company and so had ignored her. Now she sat beside him, her watery eyes staring at him.

"Feel up to a little reminiscing?" Fading red lips curled into a nasty semblance of a smile.

"What are you doing here, Ms. Lewis?" It had been years since he had seen this particular woman, not since everything had started in that lonely New Mexico desert. She had changed much in that time, gone was the energetic girl with the bright smile, replaced with this worn out shadow of a woman.

"Same as you, getting shitfaced." Darcy let go of the bottle and leaned against the bar. She had been there for the past few hours hoping that this time she would find reason in the bottom of the bottle. After not finding in the first she thought to leave, then her eyes landed on him… the impossible man, the dead man walking.

"I think I should call you a cab, where are you staying at the moment?" Phil reached into his pocket for his phone only to lunge forward to catch the woman as she tripped.

"It's over, all of it." Darcy looked up at the man who now had her in his arms. "What was the point of it, what was the fucking point of it all?!"

"Calm yourself, Ms. Lewis, there is no need to get all worked up." Worried that they were drawing attention, he righted the woman and led her back over to the table she had been sitting in all evening.

"I'm alone now, you know that? The Avengers have lost their minds, Thor is gone, and I just wasn't needed anymore. I gave up all my dreams for this, and now no one will touch me because of Shield. God-damned Shield, God-damned you." Darcy allowed the man to sit her down in the booth. She curled into a ball against the wall when he slipped in next to her.

"I'm sorry, I wish I would have known." He had known that the blow out had damaged more than just agents, but he hadn't once thought that this woman would be affected. She was supposed to be protected by Thor, but she was right, he was gone now and there was no one left for her.

"And what would you have done? I'm a nobody, always have been. You wouldn't have lifted a finger to help me." Darcy pushed back the tears that threatened to fall. Ever since she left Jane she seemed to be on the verge of crying.

"You've never been a nobody." Feeling out of his element, but unwilling to let her alone, he reached out to take her chin in his hand. "Hey, you're not a nobody. Don't you ever think that for a minute."

Darcy blinked as she gazed at the man beside her. She probably shouldn't do what she was about to, but it had been so long since someone said something like that to her. Refusing to think about it, she leaned up and pressed her lips to his. It was just a light press resulting in a caste kiss, but it still sent heat through her body.

Phil swallowed thickly when Darcy pulled back, her wet eyes gazing innocently up at him. He hadn't expected such a reaction form her, or from him for that matter. Against better judgement he removed his hand from her chin and slid it along her jaw and into her hair. His breath shook when she pressed herself into his chest, her head nestled into the crook of his neck.

"I don't want to be alone… please." Darcy wrapped her arms around his middle, holding onto him as tight as she could. She shook in his embrace, unknowing if it was relief of pleasure she felt when he held her closer.

"You're not alone, not anymore." Oh, this would probably come back to bite him in the ass, but he couldn't leave her out in the cold. It was their fault what had happened to this girl, and he would do what he could to set it right. "I promise."

* * *

Author's Note: Ok, there was just no way that this was going to be a happy story with this song, though this is actually one of my fav songs of all time.

Anyway, I kind of think in this that after Thor left back to Asgard and after everything that happened with the Avengers Jane and Darcy were left drifting. Jane didn't want Darcy to leave, but Darcy knew she really had no need of her anymore so she just left, and of course Darcy couldn't find a job and she was dealing with the fact that after so many years of being in the center of all this wonderful crazy stuff, now she was just drifting with no one to talk to about what happened and was unable to deal with it.

I also think that after this Phil took her in, they became friends, and possibly more later on.

Now, this is the last for this one, I will be doing a Shieldshock Hat-trick next, but it will probably be awhile until I get it started as I need to get caught up and work on the stories that I have already up. But I will get it at some point.

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.


End file.
